Lest We Should Offend Them

Q: What does the Bible say about the purpose of Christ's death?

The purpose of Christ's death was to satisfy God's justice and to redeem His elect from sin. Christ's death serves a dual purpose: it satisfies the wrath and justice of God while simultaneously acting as the means of redemption for His people. As highlighted in Matthew 17, Jesus emphasizes His determined mission to suffer and die, which was foretold from eternity in the covenant of grace. He was delivered up not as a helpless victim of circumstance but according to the determinate counsel of God, ensuring that justice was upheld while allowing mercy to be extended to those He came to save. The necessity of His death, therefore, lies in God's unyielding righteousness and the need for sin to be atoned by His shed blood, making way for genuine forgiveness.

Q: How do we know Jesus' resurrection is true?

Scripture foretold Jesus' resurrection, which He confirmed multiple times to His disciples. Jesus' resurrection is affirmed not only by His own predictions but also through prophetic scriptures, as illustrated in Matthew 17 and reiterated with reference to Psalm 16. The prophecies indicated that He would not suffer decay in the grave, demonstrating God's sovereignty over death itself. Furthermore, various Old Testament types, like Jonah's three days in the belly of the fish, exemplify the truth that Jesus would rise on the third day, confirming His identity as the Messiah and fulfilling God's plan for salvation. The early disciples' encounters with the risen Christ served as powerful testament to the reality of His resurrection, solidifying it as a foundational truth of the Christian faith.

Q: Why is God's providence important for Christians?

God's providence assures Christians that He will provide for their needs in all circumstances. The doctrine of Providence is central to the Christian faith as it reinforces the belief that God is actively involved in the lives of His people, guiding and providing for them. In Matthew 17, Jesus exemplifies this through His ability to provide tax money from a fish, illustrating His omnipotence and care for those He has called. Life's uncertainties can often lead us to worry or despair; however, understanding God's providential care helps us to live with faith and confidence. We are reminded that God honors those who honor Him, ensuring that even in times of dire need, He is our Jehovah Jireh—our Provider—capable of nourishing both our physical and spiritual needs.

Q: What does it mean to honor God in everyday life?

Honoring God involves living in obedience to His Word and prioritizing His glory in all actions. To honor God in our daily life means to align our desires and actions with His Word, recognizing Him as sovereign over all. In the context presented in Matthew 17, Jesus instructs Peter on fulfilling obligations that could have caused offense while still asserting their freedom as God's children. This illustrates a larger principle: in our relationships and interactions, we should place the service of others and the glory of God above our personal rights or preferences. Such a posture encourages a life of humility and obedience, urging us to reflect Christ's love and mission in every aspect of our lives. Therefore, our actions, whether in word or deed, should ultimately seek the glory of God as the ultimate aim.

Come together to Matthew 17 again. Matthew chapter 17. I'm confident I have a message that will be beneficial to our hearts and lives if God the Holy Spirit will enable me to give it to you. Now, during our Lord's last six months of his public ministry upon the earth, as you read through the scriptures, you can't help noticing that he spent less and less time with the multitudes, and more and more time with his disciples in private, giving them needed, practical, comforting instruction and direction with regard both to his doctrine and to the principles of his kingdom, the principles by which his people must live in this world for the honor of his name. Some of those momentous final words and events surrounding our Lord's last few months and weeks and days upon the earth are recorded by all four gospel writers, and some of them are recorded by one or two or three, and a few are recorded by only one of the gospel writers. We have in our text this evening one of those momentous instructive events that's recorded only by one inspired writer, And that's found here in Matthew chapter 17, verses 22 through 27. Let's not read the text at once, but we'll just read it as we go along. I don't want to spend undue time this evening with just the reading of the Word. I want you to catch the reading of the Word in its context as we go along.

And the one thing I want you to see in this passage, the one thing that I'm confident is preeminent in the passage is the fact that the Lord, our God, who is our Savior, is also our provider in all things. His name is Jehovah Jireh, which means the Lord will provide. Now, let's notice five things in this passage. First, we will read verses 22 and 23 and see how that our Lord demands our attention to his determination to suffer and die on our behalf. Read with me in verse 22.

And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him. And the third day he shall be raised again, and they were exceeding sorrow. Now this is the third time our Lord declared his death to his disciples. You have it in Matthew And when he did so, Peter immediately said, far be it from me, Lord, you cannot allow this to happen. And the Lord Jesus severely reprimanded him for his blurting out that kind of comment that would have been a hindrance to him and his mission. And then in chapter 17, the Lord Jesus spoke plainly concerning the fact that the Son of Man must die in verse 12. And now he comes to deal with this again. There's a reason for it.

Our Lord's heart was focused upon his death from eternity. He never, ever took his mind's eye, he never took his attention away from his death as our substitute. So that before the world began, the Son of God, in the covenant of grace, said, Lo, I come to do thy will, O my God. And his delights were with the sons of men, even back before ever a man was made.

When our Lord came into this world, from the very first step that he took to the very last step that he took on this earth, his object was to go to Calvary to suffer and die in our stead. The Lord Jesus was determined, he set his face like a flint to go up to Jerusalem, there to suffer and die in the room, stead, and behalf of all his elect. So that the Lord Jesus told his disciples, now for this third time, How that he must go to Jerusalem. How that he must be betrayed. Betrayed into the hands of men. And particularly the word men is used here in reference to the Gentiles.

Now the Jews had a common law. It was written in their books and in their interpretations of the scriptures that nothing is more despicable than betrayal. And that a Jew who was betrayed to the Gentiles would have those who betrayed him should be put to death. There was no question about it. Even if the betrayal was found out before it was executed, they required that the man who betrayed the Jew to the Gentiles should be put to death, for they considered the Gentiles to be the basis of creatures upon God's earth. And so the Jews were now being told, our Lord telling his disciples, and they being Jews, they were being told that the Jews themselves would betray him into the hands of men, into the hands of the Gentiles. That is, they would act contrary and in violation to that which they themselves considered to be the most reprehensible of crimes. They would betray the Son of God himself to the hands of the Gentiles.

Now, our Savior was not the helpless victim of circumstances. He was not here talking about something that was going to happen beyond his control, far from it. He was delivered up to suffer and die by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. He voluntarily laid down his life as our substitute and our redeemer. But at the same time, it must never be forgotten that the Lord of Glory was betrayed and slain and crucified by the hands of wicked men, just like you and me.

Nothing but his blood would satisfy the rage of reprobate, godless men as they expressed their venom and anger against God himself. Nothing but blood would satisfy, when they cried, let his blood be on us and on our children, they said, give us his blood. We want nothing less. But at the same time, Nothing less than his blood would satisfy the wrath and justice of God on our behalf. Without the shedding of blood is no remission. God himself said, give me his blood. Give me his blood. Now, please understand this. Be sure you understand this. The necessity for our Lord's death, the necessity for his death, was the justice of God.

God cannot, in justice, put away sin. God cannot, in justice, forgive sin. God cannot violate His law to pardon iniquity. The only way God can, in consistency with His law and justice, forgive, pardon, and put away our sin, is if justice is satisfied and the law entirely honored, and that can only be done by one who is both God and man in one person.

And the Lord Jesus was determined to go up to Jerusalem to suffer and die, and was delivered into the hands of the Gentiles, because by his death alone, God's justice could be satisfied and our sins put away. Now as our Savior kept his death in the forefront at all times, so he continually kept bringing his disciples of kitchen back to the fact of his death. Let us ever keep his death in the forefront in all things in the worship of our God.

When you men read the scriptures and comment upon them, look for the death of Christ. Look for the evidence and the marks and the declarations and instructions and the word concerning our Lord's substitutionary sacrifice. That's what this book's all about. When we sing our hymns, ever sing those things that give praise to him as our Redeemer and our Lord. And as I preach, it is my purpose, determination, ever to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified. That's the essence of our message in all things.

But then our Lord assured his disciples that he would, according to the type and prophecy of the Old Testament, rise from the dead the third day. Now hold your hands here and turn to Psalm 16. We'll look at one prophecy. Psalm 16. We know that this is our Lord Jesus speaking through David because Peter says so in Acts the second chapter.

Verse 9, Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. My flesh also shall rest in hope, for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. That is, you will not leave my soul in the grave. Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to seek corruption. The Lord Jesus is here giving clear prophecy that since God had promised him he would not allow his holy one to see corruption, his body would not decay in the grave, but on the third day he would rise from the dead. And so our Lord Jesus gives a prophecy here concerning his resurrection. And over here he tells his disciples that he must rise from the dead on the third day.

There were signs given in the Old Testament, that would verify this and that would typify it. The sign of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, even so the Lord Jesus was in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. On the third day, Jonah came forth from the belly of hell. On the third day, the Lord Jesus came forth from the grave.

You remember when the children of Israel were about to go across Jordan to invade the land of Canaan and take possession of it. Joshua told them to stand by and wait, and wash and sanctify themselves. And then God gave commandment. He said, after three days, after three days, you follow the ark of God and go across this Jordan.

And so it is, after three days, our Lord Jesus went through the river of death on our behalf, and we arose with him. As the prophet said, thy dead men shall arise with thy dead body. Now we rose with him spiritually and representatively, but we shall rise with him literally as well. Just as when our Lord Jesus died and the saints of God arose and walked the streets of Jerusalem that night, in the day of his coming again we shall arise from the grave and walk with God in everlasting life. Our Lord Jesus died and was buried and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. fulfilling exactly those things that were written in the scriptures concerning him.

And then we read a statement that's a little confusing. And they were exceeding sorry. Exceeding sorry. Now we read that and we begin to try to rationalize and figure out a way and an excuse for explaining their sorrow. Most of the commentators do as well. Many excuses are given.

Some say they were sorry because of their love for the Savior's person, and I'm certain that has something to do with it. Others say that they were sorry because they were confused and didn't understand his doctrine. I'm sure that has something to do with it. Others suggest they were sorry because of their interest concerning the physical kingdom and their concern as to what would happen to them, and I'm certain that has a great deal to do with it.

But when all is said and done, Mark explains it perfectly. He says they were sorry because they were ignorant. They just didn't understand. They didn't understand what the Lord was talking about. Their ignorance arose from their unbelief. They didn't believe the Lord's Word.

How often we grieve when there is no cause, just like these disciples. The Lord Jesus here proclaims that Which, in reality, if understood, and we look back at it, and we have much clearer vision looking back than they did looking forward to it, I understand that. But we look back at it and understand this, if they could have seen what we see, if they could have known what we now know, this declaration of our Lord would have been no cause for sorrow, but only for joy. This would have been the greatest excitement of their souls, if they could just have seen it. But because of their ignorance, which was caused by their unbelief, they were filled with sorrow.

Oh, how often that's true of us. Christ's death was for the glory of God. It was by the will of God, as he had plainly declared. It was according to the purpose of God. It was the means of their ransom, and the means of his exaltation and glory. Christ's death was the very revelation of the glory of God. And our Savior took this path to the seat of dominion over all things. His death was the means of redemption for them and redemption for us, but they were exceeding sorry."

Now, children of God, let us ever be aware of this weakness and this tendency in our flesh to view things only from a personal present sense of things, and bring our personal present sense of things in subjection to the Word of God. So that when we look at things, I don't mean that we should somehow never forget about present circumstances and present difficulties. We can't do that. I know we can't. But we ought to have these things weighed into balance with eternal realities. Loved ones are taken to glory, and we miss them, and we hurt for them. But there's no need for us to sorrow as others which have no hope. There's no need for our hearts to be filled with sorrow. When God is fulfilling His purpose, while His purpose causes us pain and grief, at the same time, let us rejoice in His goodness.

I have been so thankful for and pleased with Brother David Pledge and his wife, And Brother Jonathan and his wife, during the loss of Jonathan and Mary's baby last week, they buried their son last Tuesday. And on Saturday evening, Brother Fred Evans in the hospital and his wife Christine, she told me today, when I talked to her, said, I looked up and here came Jonathan and Mary coming down to comfort me. They understand in the midst of their grief and sorrow, this is God's doing. We'll go on serving him and worshiping him and rejoicing in him. Rejoice in the Lord, not in present circumstances, not in present experiences, in him, in his goodness, wisdom, and purpose, so that we walk before him in faith and our hearts are not overwhelmed with sorrow.

Next, in the text here we have a dispute, a controversy that was raised over the Jewish temple tax. And I'll have to give some comment concerning that, because I think it's needful in understanding the text. In verse 24, when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, does not your master pay tribute? And Peter said, yes. He said, he sure does. Of course he does. course he does.

Now this is an issue that's discussed by none of the other inspired writers. Matthew, who was himself a tax collector before the Lord saved him, is the only one who mentions it. But the tribute, the tax money that is here spoken of, the tax that is here being discussed, has nothing whatsoever to do with paying tax to the IRS, has nothing to do with taxes for a political or social government of any kind, though that is discussed in the Scriptures. As a matter of fact, if you just wait until you get to chapter 22, our Lord deals with that specific thing directly and very clearly, teaching us our responsibility as citizens in this world. The tax that is here spoken of, the tribute, was one that was imposed by the Jews, and it had some basis in law.

I want you to look at it. Come back to Exodus chapter 30. Exodus 30. Now, I want you to get this and maybe make a notation of it. We'll come back to it in just a minute. But this tribute tax was a tax that was prescribed by God in the giving of the Mosaic Law, and it was prescribed as a ransom money. A ransom money, a gift paid to the sanctuary voluntarily whenever the children of Israel were numbered.

Well, we could look at a number of passages, but just look at verse 12 here. Exodus 30, verse 12. When thou takest the sum, or the counting, of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord.

When thou numberest them, that there be no plague among them when thou numberest them. This they shall give every one that passeth among them that are numbered a half a shekel. After the shekel of the sanctuary, a shekel is twenty givers, and half a shekel shall be the offering to the Lord. Every one that passeth among them that are numbered from twenty years old and above shall give an offering to the Lord. The rich shall not give more, the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when they give an offering unto the Lord to make an atonement for your soul.

So this tribute money actually did have a basis in Old Testament law. But it was not something that was instituted as a yearly tax. It was not something that was levied upon the people according to God's law. What happened? The Jews, as they commonly did, and as religious people do to this day, they found something in the scriptures, and then they began to expand upon it, and before long it became a custom in the land so that every Jew was expected once every year to pay this tribute money for the maintenance of the tabernacle, and then, of course, during our Lord's Day, for the maintenance of the temple. But the original purpose was it was to be given on the numbering of the children of Israel, not by a levy, but by a voluntary gift, and every man to give the same thing for the sanctuary, it was atonement money for his soul. Now I'll talk about that a little more in a minute, but just leave it for now. This was a conflict over the tribute for the temple, for the sanctuary.

Now that brings us to the third thing in our text. which was a marvelous demonstration of our Savior's divine majesty. In these next verses, 25, 26, and 27, we see our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrating his divinity, his Godhead, in two ways. First, he demonstrates his omniscience, and then he demonstrates his omnipotence. Look at verse 25.

Peter, when he heard this question, the Jews came and said, does not your master pay tribute?" Now Peter, not really knowing, he didn't really know for sure because the Lord had not spoken of it before. He had not seen it practiced before by the Lord Jesus.

Not really knowing then what had happened, Peter just said, well yes, of course he does. And then he was headed into the house to ask him, do you? I was confronted with this thing, and I want to know, but before he could ask the question, read on now. He said yes, verse 25, and when he was coming to the house, Jesus predicted him.

The Lord Jesus said, now wait a minute, Peter, I've got to ask you a question. Here Peter comes, I presume, and I think this is a fair presumption, Peter was coming in to ask and get confirmation from the Lord concerning this tribute money. But the Lord Jesus predicted him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute?

Of their own children or strangers?" I can picture Peter kind of scratching his head, and I think probably not scratching his head saying, how'd he know that? Scratching his head saying, I ought to have known he knew this. He knew what was going on. And Peter didn't even raise the question, Lord, how did you know this? Because he knew he's talking to God. So Peter just answered him. Peter saith unto him, Of strangers Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.

Now write this down and put it somewhere where you'll often see it and be reminded of it. I urge you to, young and old alike, You ladies take it home, pin it on your refrigerator, so that every time you open the door, or your husband opens the door, or your kids open the door, you see it.

The Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, knows everything. He knows everything. Everything that is thought, everything that is said, and everything that is done. He knows it perfectly. We're going to get together Sunday evening, Lord willing, and bid Michael adieu as he goes to Virginia and begins his career. And I want to say to him and all of you who are listening what Brother Hubert said to Maurice when he went off to the military. I never will forget Maurice telling me this, that the day he came out of the car, took him by the hand, put his hand on his shoulder, and he said, God goes everywhere. Oh, you remember, God goes everywhere and knows everything.

Everything. When Peter came into the house, the Lord Jesus showed him clearly that he heard every word of the conversation that was taking place outside the house. The scripture says, all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have Here we've got clothes on, and we've got clothes on because of our embarrassment, because of our sin, we hide ourselves from one another. And I'm thankful, most of us look better with clothes on. But we hide ourselves from one another. That's the reason that we do so, because of the sin in the beginning.

Now listen to me. You can't hide from God. with words and professions and statements and religious ceremonies and religious customs. You can't put fig leaves on and say, no, God doesn't see me now. You can't go into the closet, turn the light off and shut the door and say, God doesn't see me now. Oh no. He hears and sees and knows everything. Everything. A more solemn realization cannot be imagined. Hypocrisy is useless. Concealment is impossible.

We live, oh my soul, may God inscribe this upon our hearts, we live in the immediate presence of God Almighty, in the immediate presence of God Almighty. We will be wise always to realize that fact. J.C. Ryle made this statement, I think it's outstanding. Let us measure every difficult question as to right and wrong by one simple test. How would I behave if Jesus was standing by my side? That's a pretty good standard.

He is. He is. So when you're involved in business and you think about cheating the fella, and you do. I know you do. Our minds work like that. Remember the Son of God standing beside you. When you're in the shop, Rex, and you think about cutting corn to save a little money, the Son of God's standing sharp beside you. When you're down the road and your mind is wandering into every possible, imaginable evil, remember the Son of God's riding down the road with you. Remember that.

We live in the immediate presence. of God Almighty in His immediate presence, so that He observes everything. Now, I know somebody says, well, how can you put folks under such bondage? How can you put such a monkey on people's back? Because you need that monkey on your back. That's exactly how. You need to be aware of that. I need to be aware of that. Such a standard is not an extravagant or an absurd thing at all. It is a standard that interferes with no duty and no relation in life, it only interferes with sin, rebellion, and ungodliness. That's all. That's all.

I have said to you so many times, I've said to my daughters growing up, still say to her, I won't be able to say it so much anymore, not quite as much authority in just a few weeks, but don't forget who you are and who you are. Don't forget. Don't forget. Now, children of God, don't ever for a minute forget who you are and whose you are. And remember, buddy, He's right there with you. He's right there with you.

Now, as He is omniscient, all-knowing, so too our Savior is omnipotent, all-powerful. Look at verse 27. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou out to the sea, and cast in a hook," I presume he put a worm on it, but he didn't take a net, he just took a rod, maybe not even a rod, maybe just a line and a hook, I don't know, but he said, go cast in a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up, the first one that takes the bait, and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money, that take and given to them for me and for they." Now this is a demonstration of our Savior's power over all creation, because he's the creator. The coin in the fish's mouth, the first fish that was caught demonstrates that this One who knows all things, who is God our Savior, about to die on our behalf, is God Almighty, and He controls even the fish of the sea, as Psalm 8 says, the Son of Man must. Our God, we are shown here, will provide for His own.

Peter follows Him, these disciples follow Him, and comes time to to pay this customary tribute to the Temple. And as they had been going about following the Savior, they had just come back to Capernaum, and they've got no money, no purse to carry of their own. How are we going to pay this tribute? And the Lord Jesus said, Peter, you just go down to the sea, take your hook, go fishing, and the first fish takes the bait. He'll have the money for you. He'll have it.

That tells me that we can safely, confidently, assuredly trust our God to provide for and care for us and serve him without reluctance in every detail of life. You will not bring yourself into trouble. You will not bring yourself into real adversity. It may seem like it, but you'll not bring yourself into real adversity. You will not impoverish yourself by serving the Son of God. It won't happen. It can't happen.

The Lord Jesus said, "'Him that honoreth me I will honor.'" Now, that does not mean—it's silly that I seem to have to make statements like this, but in the light of modern-day religion, that does not mean if you give God a little money, God will make you a rich man. That's not the way God honors me.

God may honor you by making you live every day from hand to mouth, walking before him by faith. He may honor you by giving you great wealth. That's just altogether up to him. But this, be assured of, God will honor those who honor him. He'll take care of all their needs day by day. And God will provide our needs through the instrumentality that he has appointed.

The Lord Jesus could just as well—now, he didn't perform feats of magic, but he could just as well have reached behind Peter's ear and pulled out the corn. That would have been just as easy for him. He could just as well have just snapped and had the corn in his hand. He's God Almighty.

But the Lord Jesus was determined to teach Peter and us a lesson. I will provide for you. I'll do it. I'll provide for you through the necessary appointed means by which I will be honored and you will be useful." Peter, get your fishing pole. Now, don't sit on the bank and look for the fish jumping your lap. He's not going to jump. Get your fishing pole and go down to the sea. And the first fish you pull up, you're rich in his mouth and you'll find all that you need for you and for me.

You see, the means by which God will honor us, and by which he will provide for us, is faith, and faith is always the mother of obedience. Always. Always. I have known folks all of my life as a believer who were just lazy. I mean, just lazy and doodless, and I'd get more than a little put out with laziness and dolessness. I just, I get a little more than angry with it. But they sit around and their families nearly go naked and starve to death and wherever the Lord will provide. God'll take care of us. I always tell my wife, don't worry about nothing, God'll take care of us. God'll take care of us.

And never hear the lick of the snake, and everybody else is obliged to take care of them. That's the way they think. And coddled up as though somehow he's excused for his laziness and idleness. Not at all. We are required under God to honor him as diligent, laboring people, serving his interest and his cause in the generation in which we live. Faith is obedient to him in all things. Fourthly, I want us to see that our Savior, our Master, demonstrated here a great willingness. Oh, what a great willingness to make concession. in matters of indifference rather than give offense.

In verse 25, he says, notwithstanding, lest we should offend them. Now that word, or that line, needs to be underscored. First, remember, he showed Peter that neither he nor Peter were under any obligation to pay this customary tribute. In verses 24 and 25 and 26, he asked Peter a parable, as it were. He said, of whom do kings of the earth receive tribute? Of their children, or of strangers? And Peter said, well, of strangers.

Now, if you understand royal authority as it was experienced in this day, kings never paid tribute. Politicians don't pay much, but kings didn't pay any, and their children didn't pay any. And their citizens usually didn't pay any. Kings got their tribute from people they had conquered. That's how the nations were maintained.

And our Lord Jesus asked Peter this question, says, now these fellows have come expecting that we should pay tribute. Now you need to understand something, Peter. We are not obliged. We're not obliged. After all, we're the sons and daughters of God. This is our Father's house. We're not under any obligation whatsoever to maintain their custom. He is the Son of God from eternity, and we are the sons of God by adoption, and so there's no need for you to feel obliged somehow that you must, by some kind of religious constraint or spiritual constraint, fulfill this custom. Oh no, the children are free. That's what it says.

But having said that, the Master gave a lesson that needs to be often repeated. about matters of indifference. What's it going to hurt to give them their tribute money? What's it going to hurt? What's the difference? It's insignificant. It's insignificant.

It amounted to what was equivalent to a man's pay in that day, so I'm told, this tribute money that was required. It was his right not to pay it. But rather than cause needless offense, he said, lest we should offend them. He sent Peter to go get the money and pay the tribute.

Now listen carefully, listen carefully. We must never, we must never, for anyone under any circumstances, give up God's rights. They're not ours to give up. We cannot back off from God's truth. We cannot compromise God's word. We must never, never do so. And folks call that bigotry. They call that sectarianism. They call that dogmatism. Let folks call it anything they want to. You don't compromise the word of God without compromising God himself. Can't do it.

But our rights, what we think are our rights, They ought to always be subject to someone else's needs. Always. Always. If you're going to have a fight, if you're going to have a squabble, if you're going to have a fuss, make sure it's over something worthwhile. Not over petty rights. I won't. I think. This is what my feelings are. This is how I feel about things. That's just petty, that's childish, it's nonsense.

I sat down last night, worked over here until about one o'clock, and I went home, tried to unwind a little bit, and so I got out a biography of John Gill, an acquaintance of mine in Germany, has written an excellent biography of Gill, and I was reading it, and I got so dumbfounded. I mean just plumb dumbfounded. Reading what happened back, this is in 1700, 41 or 51, 61, somewhere, and I've forgotten, maybe 1761. No, wasn't it 1720? Isn't it? Listen, my soul, it's been a long time ago.

Back in the church back in those days, things don't change. They just don't change. I was dumbfounded. This congregation called John Gill to be pastor, and there were six people who voted against him in a large church. Six people said, no, we'd rather have another man. And they raised a lot of stink and a lot of stir about nothing. I mean about nothing. Before it was over with, they were in the majority. They had everybody against him.

It was over a year before Mr. Gill was finally seated as pastor. And when he was, they took another group out and met across town in another place. Finally, this group that was originally meeting in the church, they couldn't pay the rent, and so another group came and they started meeting there again, and they paid the rent. Now, one of the fellows who called Gil his pastor—you're not going to believe this.

If I'm lying, I'm dying. I'm telling you exactly what happened. Thomas Crosby—do you remember the name, Renzo?—one of the strongest, most influential, baddest historians in history. He wrote the history upon which other history books are written. Thomas Crosby got crossed up somehow or another.

He had been one of Gil's defenders and promoters from the beginning, but he got a little too much authority. got a little too much power, a little too much influence. He was a man of some means. He was treasurer of the church. He was the one who collected the money and saw to it that bills were paid, the pastor was taken care of, and all that stuff as they did things in those days.

And the former pastor's wife got together and decided that Mr. Gill pampered his wife too much. I'm telling you the truth. Gill's wife, Elizabeth, had several miscarriages, and she was physically weak. And so when he was preparing his sermons, he would frequently sit in the living room so that he could wait on her at the same time while he was preparing his sermons. And they began to think he wasn't fulfilling his responsibilities.

Now this is a man, we're talking about a man who wrote 10,000 folio pages of commentary and theology with a quill pen. You know what that is? Folio pages about this big. He wrote over 10,000 with one of those feathertip pens that you just dip a little bit in the ink and write a half a character and go back and dip it again and write another half a character. And they said he wasn't spending enough time in his work. And they made a public statement concerning this. It finally got so bad that Mr. Crosby had to be disciplined from the congregation over whether or not Gil pampered his wife too much. Why do you say all this? Because we all never, ever, ever call squabbles over nothing. Over our opinions, over our ideas, over our thoughts.

Not in society, not in the house of God, and not in your home. Don't do it. I'll give you an example. I frequently travel other places, as you know, and preach in different realms of society, and I go places sometimes where folks go to church, and they don't dress quite the way I think they ought to. They're real casual in their attire. And here, I encourage you, don't do that.

Don't put on the antlers, but my soul, don't pretend things, but at the same time, when you come to the house of God, act at least like you're going to go meet somebody important. You're coming to God's house. And you ought to dress accordingly, you ought to prepare accordingly, both physically and spiritually. But I go to other places, and folks come to church dressed all kinds of ways.

I don't ever say anything about it. Why? Because it really doesn't matter. It's really, that's really not the issue. That's really not the thing of importance and significance. And perhaps, perhaps, If they learn to reverence God, and hear what I'm saying, they'll reverence God in the way they come to his house. But how they come to his house is really not a significant issue.

When I was preaching at Lookout, we had a gal, this was back in the days when the hippies were just beginning to die out. Shelby may remember it. We had a gal there one summer. She was about, oh, 20, 25 years old. She came to church every Sunday morning, came to listen to me preach all summer long. I don't have any idea where she came from or where she went. But for that summer, she was there. She brought a dog with her. Tied the dog up outside. She came in in blue jeans and some kind of a shirt and sat down on the back row. And folks were a little concerned.

I didn't say anything to her about wearing britches to church and didn't say anything to her about the way she came. And I said, that's not what I'm concerned about. Now, you, don't you come like that. But this, this is not the issue. This now, she needs to hear the message. And we must not cause folks needless offense so they don't hear the message.

And that's particularly true in society. So that when you come across things and difficulties, there's so many things that happen. You can have a fuss with folks about this issue and about that issue. All the nonsense goes on in churches. Don't do that. Oh, that's Satan's ploy. Don't get sidetracked about the non-issue issue. Focus on the message of God's free grace. That's the only issue of any significance. In your own home, do the same thing. Guild and guild and bend. That's what we ought to do. Our Savior did. He said, now Peter, I've shown you that we don't have to pay the tributes. You understand that?

Now go pay it. Just go pay it. It's not going to cost that much. Won't cost you anything. I'll give you the money. Just go pay it. I hope that's clear. Now, lastly, I want you to see that there are some beautiful, blessed spiritual lessons just kind of sleeping beneath the surface here in this text. Let me call your attention to just three of them, and I'll just go through them quickly, but you can expand on them in your own time.

First, our text demonstrates the glorious independence and freedom of our Lord Jesus Christ. He declares himself to be the Son of God, and thus above all the opinions and laws and customs and traditions of men. He's the gloriously free, independent God who depends on nothing and is under constraint to no one. But then secondly, the text demonstrates Christ's willingness to come under tribute for our He comes here and, like an ordinary man, goes and pays tribute. He did it because he came here to pay tribute on our behalf as the God-man, our Savior. And thirdly, the clearing of Christ and his people by one payment, a payment which he provided, is a blessed picture of redemption.

Now you'll notice in verse 27, when Peter went to get the money that the Lord told him he would provide for the paying of tribute, there were not two coins in the fish's mouth. There weren't two pieces of money. There was one piece of money. You remember what we read back in Exodus 30? It was called atonement money. It was called the ransom of your soul.

And so the money represented the redemption of our souls by Christ Jesus the Lord, and it identifies a union between Christ and His people in this business of redemption. The Lord Jesus Christ came here and made our debt His debt, so that when He suffered under the wrath of God, He was suffering for sins that had been imputed to Him, and His suffering was for both His debt as His death, and His death as our death. he suffered as our substitute. After all, it was unjust according to God's own law to condemn the righteous or to justify the guilty. So the Lord Jesus becomes himself guilty in the sight of the law so that he might redeem us. And his payment was payment for him and for us.

The Lord Jesus made sacrifice for sin, our sin which had become his And by his one sacrifice, both the surety and those for whom the surety died are set free by the ransom money paid to the Lord for the sanctuary for the numbering of the people. And according to this payment, when God gathers his elect at last, the people of God shall be numbered in the heavenly glory, a multitude that no man can number, ten thousand times 10,000. I pray that you will be in the number and that I will be in that number as well.

In all things seek the glory of God. Seek the glory of God. Nothing else by comparison even matters. Can you get hold of that? Nothing else by comparison even matters. Live in the awareness of God's presence. Live for the honor of his name. And the way to do that is to live by faith, seeking to help other folks as you go through this world. That's what our business ought to be. We ought to be about the business of helping folks into the kingdom of God. helping folks in the knowledge of God, helping folks into everlasting life, and mold your life in all things by Christ's example. I'll send you home with this word, the Apostle said, whatsoever you do, in word or in deed, do all to the glory of God.

Lest We Should Offend Them

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Lest We Should Offend Them

What does the Bible say about the purpose of Christ's death?

How do we know Jesus' resurrection is true?

Why is God's providence important for Christians?

What does it mean to honor God in everyday life?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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